 Poster: A snowHead
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youngeratheart, IIRC - If I Recall Correctly...
Yes - Easiski has links to Les Deux alpes stuff on her website.... It is much cheaper to go skiing in summer and perfect for working on technique... Very nice because you can ski in the morning and swim/hike/parapent etc etc in the afternoons... (skiing is 830sh until 230ish I think) I was paying 35euro a night for a double room to myself and breakfast - right near the lifts too...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| comprex wrote: |
| A lot of people start from the opposite end (do this that or the other with the body) and are not even aware of where their skis are going. Not really goal-oriented achievement, is that? |
Wise words! Always think about your skis first, what they are doing and what they should be doing to achieve your intentions.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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rob@rar, Angus Meldrum said last week that he always works from the feet up! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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youngeratheart, that really does look very good for a 4 times skier. I know skiers who have skied much longer that aren't as good.
Your body position, in particular is really good.
I'm going to try to bring together what little tiger, comprex, rob@rar and lungostyle have said.
Watch both of your videos and just look at the the shape that your skis take on the snow. You'll see that it's "Z" shaped. This is caused by the "tail push" that little tiger has talked about - which is you trying to get the skis across the hill as quickly as possible to slow yourself down. Instructors sometimes call this "rushing your turn".
The problem with doing that is that you don't give the skis a chance to work for you. Modern skis want to turn, but you need to have a little patience and give them time to turn. Imagine driving a car around a corner. You progressively steer into the turn and progressively steer out. If you just violently and suddenly turn the steering wheel then there's a good chance you'll lose grip. That's what you're doing.
Watch the video that comprex has linked to. If you look at the path of the skis it's "S" or "C" shaped (depending on how you look at it).
Watch it again and imagine the skier is skiing around the face of a watch from 12 to 6. You'll see that the time he takes to get from 12 to 3 and then 3 to 6 is roughly the same.
Now watch your video, look at the skis on the snow (nothing else) and try that count. Your skis go 12to4, four.................to..............six. Hopefully you'll see the difference.
rob@rar's alluded to one way to improve what you're doing:
| rob@rar wrote: |
| think about your skis first, what they are doing and what they should be doing to achieve your intentions. |
Find a slope that's shallower than you'd normally ski - preferably one that you'd be happy to straightline. Be conscious of the time it takes you to get your skis from 12 to 3 and then 3 to 6 by counting around the turn. Try to even out the time it takes to get from 12 to 3 and 3 to 6.
Stay on the shallower slope until you get used to the timing and then take it onto a steeper slope and try to keep that sense of timing. (Changes are almost easier to make on shallower slopes.) Be aware that on the steeper slope you might have to count more quickly:
- on a green slope you might count 1..........2..........3..........4..........5..........6..........
- on a blue slope you might count 1.....2.....3.....4.....5.....6.....
- on a red slope you might count 1..2..3..4..5..6..
The important thing is that you keep the relative timing between 12 to 3 and 3 to 6 the same.
(There are other exercises you can do for this and I'm sure someone will offer up some more suggestions.)
lungostyle has also made a very important point about something that will potentially stop you moving this to steeper and steeper slopes. That is that your body doesn't have very much vertical movement. If you don't introduce movement then you'll limit how much the skis will work for you. And if you do that then you'll go back to making Z shaped turns on steeper slopes.
Once you're comforable with the clockface then repeat it, but try to improve your movement. You want to aim to stand tall when you're at 12 and then gradually and progressively sink down as you go around to 6. As you hit 6, it becomes 12 for the next turn (if that makes sense) - so you stand tall again. And repeat.
Again, do this on a shallower slope before you try steeper slopes.
It's really important that you "sink down" and not "sit back". This is where doing the dryland stuff that little tiger has suggested will really help as it will help you "program" your body's movement pattern.
There's more going on in your skiing, but if you can sort out your turn shape and introduce some body movement then some of the other things will disappear.
A final thing. When you're trying to make changes like this don't be in a rush. Our bodies take time to assimilate changes. So when you're trying any exercise practice on a shallower slope and don't stop doing the exercise, or move to steeper terrain, just because you can do it once.
As an example, you'll feel the difference that taking more time from 12 to 3 makes. Don't just experience that feeling and move straight onto steeper terrain as soon as you experience it. You really need to keep going until you experience the feeling without thinking about how you're doing it (although few of us have the patience to do that).
Don't be surprised if it takes several attempts at going back to shallower terrain before you "get" it.
(Apologies that this is a long post!)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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[quote="youngeratheart"]
| Quote: |
| ...so just to make sure, am I right in thinging that 3 an 9 will both be when the tips of the skis are pointing down the fall line, and 6 and 12 across it? |
Yep, got it in one.
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youngeratheart, on the ski front, go for something under 80mm underfoot and with a 15-18m sidecut radius. Tell the shop that you want something suitable for an intermediate.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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FlyingStantoni, well done you. I'm not always the quickest on the up take. 
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FlyingStantoni, Thanks for the ski advice.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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FlyingStantoni, Wow fancy that  So there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Just noticed your location. Will you be in Morzine in mid march? Do you teach? I am in the next Valley, Les Gets.
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(BTW - you're actually just a little bit back on that second image - see how you can see more of the front of the ski than the back, but IMHO it really is a very good body management for a three week skier. I think the other stuff is way more important to try to fix.)
I'm around Morzine at the beginning and end of March, but not the middle unfortunately.
I've got an instructor qualification and am working my way through the system, but I'm not sufficiently qualified to teach in France. And will never be under the current rules. (Actually, legally I can teach. I just can't charge anyone money for it!).
I can point you in the direction of some good instructors in Les Gets / Morzine if that would be of help.
One thing that you might like to know is that 30-40% of the top qualified ski British instructors I know have some form of dyslexia. Given that 5-10% of the UK population are thought to have some form of dyslexia then it would suggest that dyslexia and skiing are good combination!
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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youngeratheart, dyspraxics also often are dyslexic...
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Poster: A snowHead
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little tiger, I didn't know there was any link there. Do know that riding helps with dyspraxia, it has something to do with the diagonal movement in trot paricularly. Any diagonally opposing movement helps to build bridges in the midline of the brain,apparently 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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youngeratheart, I see no reason to change that recommendation significantly.
The 72mm waist size limit was because I wasn't sure you were in a sufficiently accurately fitted boot to ride a wider ski at the performance levels you want.
Looking at the videos above I am tempted to recommend a -shorter- turning radius (11-13m), in skis that might by some be termed intermediate-advanced. Your balance is certainly good enough to ride those.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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comprex, Thankyou, for the re-assesment. Much appreciated.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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youngeratheart - I'll send you a PM with some suggestions.
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FAQ
So now that I've come clean and shown you what I can ski like can you make any sugestions 
